Man charged in string of store robberies

June 19, 2009

A 25-year-old North Side man wanted in connection with a string of convenience store robberies this spring was arrested after police officers spotted him walking into a Lakeview bar Thursday afternoon, police said.

Christopher Wright, 25, of the 2800 block of West Farragut Avenue, faces five counts of robbery in the strongarm holdups of 7-Eleven stores on the Northwest and North Sides starting in April, said Police News Affairs Officer Michael Fitzpatrick.

Wright was arrested Thursday afternoon as Town Hall District officers and Belmont Area detectives were scouting the area with his photo, according to police.

The robberies began April 6 at a 7-Eleven in the 5600 block of North Kimball Avenue, Fitzpatrick said. In each of the robberies, the suspect struck or pushed the cashier and demanded money from the register, police said.

The latest robbery took place in the 5900 block of West Belmont Avenue on June 12, Fitzpatrick said.

Police were able to identify Wright as a suspect and he was named in a warrant in connection with at least one of the robberies, according to a police news release.

On Thursday, district officers and detectives, acting on a tip that Wright hung out in the Wrigleyville neighborhood, were in the area with photos of him when officers spotted him walking into a bar in the 3400 block of North Clark Street, according to police.

After his arrest, Wright was identified in a photo lineup, according to the release. Wright also told police he knew he was being sought by authorities, according to the release.

In addition to the Kimball and Belmont Avenue robberies, Wright also is charged in connection with at least two other robberies, Fitzpatrick said. Those occurred June 1 in the 5300 block of North Milwaukee Avenue and June 10 in the 2700 block of West Touhy Avenue, he said.